It is known to provide an inflatable vehicle occupant protection device, such as an air bag, for helping to protect an occupant of a vehicle. A driver side air bag is inflatable between an occupant of a front seat of the vehicle and the steering wheel of the vehicle. When inflated, the air bag helps protect an occupant from impacts with parts of the vehicle, such as the steering wheel of the vehicle.
The occupant may be seated in close proximity to the steering wheel, such as when the occupant's seat is in the full forward seating position. In the full forward seating position, the bottom portion of the steering wheel may be closer to the occupant than the top portion.
During a vehicle collision, when the inflator is actuated, a close proximity occupant may contact the bottom portion of the inflating air bag in less time than the top portion of the inflating air bag. If an occupant is in close proximity to the steering wheel when the inflator is actuated, the air bag may not have enough time to inflate sufficiently to cover both the top and bottom portions of the steering wheel before the occupant contacts the air bag.